Red Bull CEO Defends Christian Horner Sacking, Rejects 'Risk' Label

Red Bull GmbH CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has broken his silence on the mid-season dismissal of long-time team principal Christian Horner, firmly rejecting the notion it was a risky move. He stated the company was "100 per cent behind" the decision, feeling it was necessary to initiate a new chapter after a slow start to the 2025 F1 season.

Why it matters:

The departure of Horner, the architect of Red Bull's dominant era, marks a seismic shift in the team's leadership. Mintzlaff's public defense underscores the finality of the decision within the corporate hierarchy and directly counters recent critical comments from the also-departed Helmut Marko, highlighting internal divisions in the post-Mateschitz era.

The details:

Mintzlaff addressed the controversial firing in an interview with De Telegraaf, providing the corporate perspective often absent from the paddock rumor mill.

• He insisted the move was not a "risk" but a necessary action, acknowledging Horner's immense contributions but emphasizing that "you can’t keep relying on history."
• The decision followed a disappointing start to 2025, where Red Bull and Max Verstappen secured only two wins before Horner's exit after the British GP.
• Mintzlaff explicitly distanced himself from Helmut Marko's recent claims that an earlier sacking would have secured Verstappen the 2025 title, stating, "I disagree with Helmut’s statements."
• He refrained from criticizing Horner personally, instead framing the change as a natural evolution for a "professional organisation" after an unprecedented 20-year leadership tenure.

The big picture:

Horner's sacking coincided with a dramatic on-track turnaround, with Verstappen winning six of the final nine races and narrowly losing the championship to Lando Norris. This timing fuels endless speculation about cause and effect. Mintzlaff's comments attempt to solidify the narrative that the change was a proactive, strategic reset rather than a panicked reaction, aiming to project stability as the team moves forward under new principal Laurent Mekies.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to Red Bull's future under its new leadership structure and the lingering question of Horner's next move. With both Horner and Marko gone, the team enters 2026 without the two central figures of its most successful period, a gamble Mintzlaff and Red Bull GmbH are now fully accountable for. The pressure will be on Mekies to prove the 'new chapter' was worth closing the old one.